


No Regrets

by SaraJaye



Series: Corriander Week 2017 [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Guilt, Nohr | Conquest Route, Sleepy Cuddles, Worry, mentioned character deaths, reassurance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2019-01-23 21:09:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12516636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Sometimes, especially now, he can't help but feel responsible for the burdens she carried.





	No Regrets

**Author's Note:**

> 5; Choices (”Because all of my choices led me to your love”)

She'd made her choice knowing it could bring her a great deal of heartache. Siding with them over her birth family, fighting them, and now invading Hoshido to gain access to its throne for reasons she couldn't explain other than it was the only way to bring change to Nohr.

Most people would have completely collapsed under the weight of such choices, Xander thought. Corrin had come dangerously close when Lilith died to protect her from that Faceless, and then after she was forced to fight three of her siblings and watch one of them leap to his death from the Great Wall. They were about to fight Prince Ryoma now, while claiming they'd killed Princess Hinoka.

He hoped Princess Hinoka and her retainers were far away from the castle by now, after Corrin had begged them to live. Of course, if it weren't for Hans and Iago, they wouldn't have had to fake her death. Princess Sakura and her retainers wouldn't be locked in the dungeons.

Prince Takumi would still be alive.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, glancing over towards his sleeping wife. "You're the last person who deserves this pain."

"Huh...?" She stirred a little in her sleep, her eyes blinking open. "Xander? What's wrong?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." He laid back down beside her, drawing her into his embrace. Corrin nestled against him, her face buried in the crook of his neck, her long hair tickling his skin.

"Are you okay?"

"I should be asking you that question," he sighed. "You've been through so much these past few weeks, and I..." He hugged her tighter, closing his eyes. "I can't help but feel partially responsible."

"What...? No, Xander, none of this is your fault! Why would you think that?" She eased back a little, looking into his eyes. "You didn't force me to do anything, even the invasion...well, I still can't explain, but it's still not your fault."

"They're your family, too. If I'd known things would get to this point I'd have stood up to Father and insisted you not be made to fight them," he said. _We're your family,_ he'd said, _we're your true family, not those strangers._ "I was selfish, little princess. I didn't fully consider your feelings, only mine...I just couldn't stand the thought of losing you!"

"Xander..." She sighed curling back into his embrace. "I'd be lying if I said it was the easiest choice I'd ever made. I still wish it hadn't come to this, or that Azura and I could explain everything. But the truth is...I was a little selfish, too."

"Oh...?"

"I couldn't handle the thought of leaving you behind, no matter how much I'd missed Ryoma and the others," she said. "When we were reunited that day on the ship, I knew for sure just how much I loved you and that this is where I belonged."

"Corrin..." He buried his face in her hair. "I just don't want you to have any regrets. Someone like you should have never gotten involved in the ugly business of war in the first place."

"I'm not a fragile doll, Xander," she chided gently. "I learned the sword from you so I could defend myself and my family if the need arose."

"Still..."

"I may have some regrets, but staying by your side isn't one of them," she said. "I'd make the same choice over and over again if it led me back to you." She tilted her head up to kiss him briefly. "I love you, and I could never regret that."

At a loss for words, he held her even tighter, kissing her deeply. _Perhaps that's all I needed to hear, as selfish as that is. I still wish she didn't have to suffer, but if my being here is enough to ease some of that..._

They broke the kiss and she closed her eyes, her breath warm against his neck as she cuddled closer. He kissed the top of her head, stroking her back, letting her body heat seep into him as the exhaustion began to settle in.

"Sleep well, little princess."


End file.
